Out of Turn

CHAPTER ELEVEN

I threw my arms around Chance again. “Oh my God! You’re married! That’s fantastic! Wait a minute—” I abruptly pulled back, frowning. “Who did you marry and why wasn’t I invited?”

Chance didn’t answer, he just smiled and pointed behind me. I turned.

Lucy and Billy stood at the entrance to the restaurant. She waved when she saw me and Billy took off toward us. I grabbed him up when he reached me, his little arms going around my neck.

“Billy!” I exclaimed, hugging him tight. “It’s so good to see you!”

He pulled back so he could talk to me. “I got a new Batman. Wanna see?”

“Absolutely.”

Billy squirmed and I set him back on his feet. He dug in his Spider-Man backpack, pulling out the famed caped crusader. “See?”

“He’s fabulous,” I agreed.

“C’mon,” Chance said, taking Billy by the hand. “Let’s eat.”

I gave Lucy a hug, too, before we sat down at a table. She and I hadn’t known each other as more than passing acquaintances before we’d both been taken by human traffickers. An experience like that tends to form bonds, though, and it was good to see her again. She looked healthy and happiness practically beamed from her.

A tiny brunette, she made an attractive partner to my cousin, who was tall and broad shouldered, his hair a thick, wavy chestnut. Chance and I didn’t look much alike except for the Turner family blue eyes.

Chance ordered a round of margaritas to celebrate and I began quizzing the two of them on exactly when and how this had happened.

“When it’s The One, you just know,” Chance said, his face softening as he grasped Lucy’s hand.

Huh. I wondered if that was true for everyone. Was that how I’d felt about Blane? A soul-deep conviction that he was The One? Was there only one man for me and we’d blown our chance to be together? Or could a person have more than just one soul mate?

“Well, I’m so happy for you both!” I said, pulling myself out of my thoughts.

“The wedding was a quick, private ceremony,” Lucy explained.

“No worries,” I said. “I’m just so glad you found each other.” Lucy and Billy deserved someone who loved them and could take care of them, and Chance seemed to be that man. I also thought they’d be good for him, judging by the adulation in Billy’s eyes and the love shining in Lucy’s.

“So how long are you in town?” I asked.

“Actually,” Chance said, “we’ve decided to move here.”

My jaw dropped in surprise, but then I recovered and said, “Wow! That—that’s wonderful!” To have family close by again? I couldn’t imagine how that would feel. My eyes started to tear up.

“Now don’t start crying on me,” Chance ribbed good-naturedly while I dabbed my eyes with my napkin. “We just thought it would be good to be with family. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department approached me after the Summers case, so I decided to take it.”

I cleared the lump out of my throat. “I’m so glad you did.” My smile was watery but genuine.

“Plus, we have a built-in babysitter here, right?” he asked, grinning.

“You bet.” I ruffled Billy’s hair while he chowed down on a taco.

“So…,” Chance said, and from the tone of his voice, I knew what was coming. “Want to tell me why you’re living with Kirk?”

Lucy politely averted her eyes, murmuring something to Billy as she wiped a smear of sour cream off his cheek.

“It seemed the safest place to be right now,” I said with a shrug. “I told you about Gage.”

“You’re aware he’s being investigated in the murder of Kandi Miller, right?”

“No way would he do that, Chance,” I said. “Somebody else killed her. Not Blane.”

“Either way, do you really think being with him is the best thing for you?”

“I’m not ‘with’ him,” I protested. “He just needs someone to lean on. He rescued me, you know. Me, Lucy, and Billy. So how about cutting him some slack?”

“He also broke your heart and treated you like shit,” Chance shot back.

My appetite was gone and I took a gulp of my margarita. There wasn’t anything I could say to Chance’s accusation. It was the truth.

“And Dennon is there, too, huh,” Chance said, disgust in his voice. “He’s bad news, Strawbs. The stuff I’ve heard whispered about him would give you nightmares for a week. You wouldn’t listen to me before, but I’d hoped you’d listen to me now.”

“He’s my friend,” I said. “And I don’t care about what he’s done. He’s been there for me when I needed him.”

“Oh really? Where was he three months ago when his brother dropped you? Blood’s thicker than water, you know that.”

I felt cold suddenly, my hands clammy, and it wasn’t from the air-conditioning.

“Chance, give it a rest, will you?” Lucy’s gentle admonition had him glancing her way, the hard set of his jaw easing. She gave him a pointed look and he sighed.

“I’m sorry,” he said to me. “I just worry about you, that’s all. I love you and I don’t want to see you hurt any more.”

“I know.”

Lucy changed the subject, asking me about school, and we chatted for a while. She was going to start looking for a job once they got everything moved up from Atlanta. Billy would be in school in the fall and she thought a part-time job would help out.

After lunch, I gave Billy a kiss on the cheek and hugged Lucy good-bye. They were heading to meet a real estate agent to look at houses and Chance would join them after he dropped me back off at Blane’s.

I hopped out of the car when we pulled up, but Chance got out as well.

“I’ll walk you inside,” he said.

“That’s really not necessary,” I protested, a sinking sensation in my stomach.

His smile was thin lipped. “It’ll be fine, Strawbs.”

I had no choice but to follow him to the front door. He watched as I fished out the key Mona had given me and unlocked the door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the hallway was empty.

“Thanks for lunch,” I said.

“You’re not going to invite me in? What, he doesn’t allow you to have company? Just wants to cut you off from everyone who cares about you?”

I bit my tongue to keep from snapping at him, stepping back so he could come inside.

“So, you’re inside,” I hissed. “Happy now?”

“Kat?”

I squeezed my eyes shut. Damn it. Blane was here.

The man himself stepped out of the den, halting when he saw Chance and me in the hallway.

“Chance,” he said, smiling a bit and coming forward with hand outstretched. “Good to see you again.”

Chance ignored Blane’s proffered hand. “Wish I could say the same, Kirk.”

I winced as Blane lowered his arm. “Can I do something for you?” he asked, his expression a polite mask now.

“You can stay the fuck away from Kathleen.”

“Chance!” My temper soared, but he wasn’t done yet.

“You and Dennon,” Chance continued. “I’m glad you were able to get her back from Summers, but she doesn’t need the shit you’re dealing with and you know it. And hanging out with Dennon will only get her killed—”

“I completely agree,” Blane calmly interjected, stopping Chance mid-tirade.

“You do?”

“Absolutely,” Blane said. “However, I’m not going to make Kathleen leave if she doesn’t want to. She’s welcome here for as long as she likes.”

“That’s what you say now,” Chance retorted. “But you can’t be trusted. I know it and I hope to God she does, too.”

That seemed to have struck its mark, the barest hint of a wince crossing Blane’s face.

“That’s enough!” I shoved my way between them. “Don’t you dare start in on this, Chance,” I said, poking my finger hard at his chest for emphasis. “You were out of my life for years. Just because you’ve suddenly reappeared does not give you the right to tell me how to live it, no matter how much you care about me!”

“You’re blinded by your feelings for these guys,” Chance hissed at me.

My face heated with embarrassment, but I stood my ground. “I’m a grown woman and I make my own choices. Now go. Lucy and Billy are waiting for you.”

Chance gave one last glare to Blane, then headed for the door. I followed him, sullenly allowing him to give me a kiss on the cheek before he left.

I sighed. Maybe having family nearby wouldn’t be such a great idea after all.

I could feel Blane behind me and I turned around. “Sorry about that,” I said.

Blane was wearing gray slacks and a light-blue button-down shirt with the cuffs turned back. All that was missing was the jacket and tie. His hands were in his pockets, his feet shoulder-width apart as he surveyed me. I squirmed under his gaze.

“It’s fine,” he finally said with a shrug. “He cares about you. Doesn’t want you hurt. I get that.”

“He doesn’t understand why I’m staying,” I tried to explain.

“Neither do I,” Blane said bluntly. “I’m just glad you are.”

Time for a change of subject. “How’s the investigation going?” I asked.

“As well as could be expected.”

Vague much?

My cell phone rang. I dug it out of my purse. “Hello?”

“Hi, Kathleen?”

I didn’t recognize the number or the male voice. “Yes. Who’s this?”

“It’s Luke, ah, from the grocery store?” He huffed a nervous laugh. “Wow, that sounded awful.”

And it clicked. “Luke, yeah, from the produce aisle.” Luke with the sun-kissed surfer blond hair and blue eyes.

“Oh, good, you remember,” he said, sounding relieved. “You said to give you a call, so I was hoping, if you aren’t busy, that you might want to have dinner tonight? I know it’s last minute…”

My instinctive reaction was to say no, especially with Blane standing there staring holes into me. His arms were crossed over his chest now and I glanced away. But a night out sounded like just the thing, especially with a cute guy who knew nothing about my life and had no prior relationship baggage with me. Maybe I could just relax and have a good time.

All this went through my head in the span of a second or two. “Absolutely,” I said, making a decision. “I’d like that.”

“Great! Can I pick you up?”

After a brief hesitation, I gave him Blane’s address because, obviously, he couldn’t pick me up at my place. We decided on a couple of hours from then and I said good-bye.

“What was that about?” Blane asked as soon as I hung up.

“I, um, have a date tonight,” I said, giving him a sideways glance as I brushed by. “That guy from the grocery store, remember?”

“Yes, but I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to go out with him,” Blane said, clearly irritated.

“I’m not dating anyone, Blane,” I said. “So I fail to see the problem.” I headed upstairs.

“You don’t even know his last name,” Blane called after me, and now I could hear anger in his voice. “Do you really think you should be going out alone with him?”

I paused, retorting, “Who are you, my father?”

“No, I’m your brother, remember?” he bit out.

This time, Blane got the last word, disappearing back into the den, the door slamming behind him with enough force to shake the house.

I crept by the closed door of the den when I came back downstairs. I really wanted to avoid another confrontation with Blane. We were over. There was no reason why I shouldn’t have dinner with a nice guy.

Right.

But it might be a good idea to wait for Luke outside.

My relief at Blane’s absence was abruptly crushed when the door to the den flew open just as I neared the front door, startling a cry from me.

“You scared me!” Surprise made me snappish and I held a hand to my chest as though to get my hammering heart under control.

“Sneaking out, Kat?” Blane asked, one brow raised.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I spluttered. “I just didn’t want to… distract you.”

“Is that what you’re wearing?” he asked, nodding at my clothes.

I had on a strapless dress, backless except for laces that crisscrossed my back to hold it on. It was made of a filmy aqua material, the skirt fitted to a couple of inches above my knees and with a short slit up one side. My hair was up in a ponytail.

“Aren’t you pushing the whole ‘father’ thing a little far?” I quipped. “It’s creepy, even for you.”

Blane was in front of me in two long strides. I gasped, automatically retreating until my back hit the wall. Blane followed, pressing his palms against the wall on either side of my head. He leaned down.

“Let’s get one thing clear, Kat,” Blane said, his voice low and dark. “I’m not your brother, or your father. I love you and want you”—he paused before adding—“to be safe.”

“Your version of me being safe feels an awful lot like controlling every move I make.”

The doorbell rang and neither of us moved, our gazes locked. It rang again.

“I’d like to get that,” I said.

Blane eased back but didn’t go far. I pasted a smile on my face and opened the door.

Luke looked as good as I remembered—slightly better, actually—and he was dressed in khakis and a polo.

“Hi,” I greeted him, holding the door to hide Blane. Unfortunately, I felt Blane moving the door inexorably out of my grip, opening it wide.

Luke’s smile faded a bit when he saw Blane and I winced, guessing Blane had put on his best I-could-crush-you face.

“You remember my… brother?” I asked.

“Yeah, sure,” Luke said. “Nice to see you again.” He directed his attention back to me. “Are you ready?”

“Yep!” No one was more chipper than me. My cheeks hurt from smiling. “Let’s go.”

Luke settled his hand on the small of my back as we walked to his very shiny black pickup truck. It took a little doing to get into the cab with the short dress I was wearing, but finally Luke just picked me up around the waist and gave me a boost.

He took me to a little restaurant that was small and cozy. I found out Luke had graduated from IU with a finance degree and was working at a place downtown, doing something with money and the stock market. I was a little fuzzy on the details, but that may have been because of the wine.

“So,” he began once we’d ordered, “your brother seems like a, ah, real protective guy.”

I was glad politics must not be Luke’s thing, since it seemed he hadn’t recognized Blane.

“Yeah. A little too much, if you ask me,” I said.

“You live with him?”

I broke off a piece of the bread the waiter had brought. “Just for now. My apartment is being repaired from some… water damage.”

The lies were kind of stacking up and I covered my discomfort by asking for another glass of wine.

Luke liked to talk about himself. A lot. So not much was required of me except to smile and nod every once in a while. But he was real pretty to look at, so I didn’t mind. It was relaxing, in a way. I had to be so on guard with Blane, not to fall under his spell again, not to give in to how easy it would be to go back to the way things were.

And Kade. Being with him was bittersweet. I loved when he opened up to me, when I got an inkling of his feelings and thoughts. But there was no possibility of a future with him, even though it seemed he was coming closer each day to remembering what had happened between us in Vegas.

What would I do if and when he did?

Well, he just couldn’t remember, that’s all. It had been a mistake. One that should never and would never be repeated.

Which was too bad…

Whoops, that was the wine talking. I tuned in briefly to Luke again, just to get a feel for where we were in the one-sided “conversation.” He was recounting his achievements on his high school’s swim team.

Nod. Smile. Have a bite of salad. Tune back out.

I was feeling pleasantly tipsy and started mentally comparing Luke to Blane and Kade, which was a bad idea but one I couldn’t help. Luke was an attractive, normal, nice guy with a normal, boring, nice-guy job. I should like him. He wasn’t a public figure, apparently had little to no interest in politics, judging by his monologue—and he didn’t kill people for a living. Always a plus.

He also didn’t have the raw edge to him that both Blane and Kade had, more apparent with Kade because he didn’t bother to disguise it, as Blane did, under a veneer of civility.

Both Blane and Kade were older than Luke, and both carried an air of maturity, though maybe it was more an air of don’t-fuck-with-me. I wondered if Luke carried a gun or had a knife strapped to his leg. I considered asking, then thought better of it.

Luke was built, though, the muscles in his arms and chest filling out the polo shirt he wore in a very nice way. Blane and Kade had incredible bodies, too, each with strength that I relied on, took for granted. And they were smart. Luke was smart, too, obviously, since I couldn’t even understand exactly what he did for a living.

But he’d never been a Navy SEAL, and had never hacked into a government agency or Swiss bank.

I sighed a little as I ate a mouthful of angel hair pasta, murmuring in agreement at something Luke had said.

“So,” he said, finally coming up for air, “what do you do?”

That yanked me out of my pasta and wine-induced lethargy. “Oh, well, um, I go to school right now, and bartend.”

“What are you studying?”

“Criminal justice.”

He smiled. “That’s cool. So what are you going to do with that?”

“I haven’t figured that out yet,” I answered honestly. “I just know I want to put bad guys behind bars. Maybe as a cop.”

A look of skepticism crossed Luke’s face and his smile turned indulgent. “You’d be the most beautiful cop I’ve ever seen,” he said.

My smile was tight. I knew when I was being patronized. Suddenly, Luke didn’t seem quite as attractive as he had been before.

And that was the extent of the questions about me. My career choice launched Luke into another story, about how he’d been pulled over by the cops but had gotten out of a ticket, blah blah blah.

I abruptly decided I was spoiled, spoiled by Blane and Kade. Yes, Blane was overprotective and controlling, and yes, Kade confused me utterly with his going hot and cold on me, but they listened to me when I talked. They’d never made me feel like an ornament who was supposed to sit in silent adulation at their awesomeness.

I passed on dessert. Luke suggested we go to a bar for a drink and a dance or two, but I pleaded a long day so he took me back to Blane’s house. He walked me to the front door.

“I had a really nice time tonight,” he said, taking my hands in his. I hadn’t been quick enough getting my keys out of my purse.

“Me too,” I lied with a smile.

“May I call you again?”

Ack. “That would be great,” I said. Just because he called didn’t mean I had to answer. I knew I should really let him down right then, but maybe he wouldn’t call and I could avoid that whole unpleasantness altogether.

Luke moved closer and I knew what was coming. My first thought was to step away, but then I wondered—had Blane and Kade spoiled me in every way for other men? So when Luke leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, I didn’t pull back.

It was okay. He was a good kisser as far as technique goes, but I felt nothing. No spark, no shiver of arousal in my veins, nothing. It was okay, and that was all.

“What the fuck is this?”

I jerked back, spinning around to see Kade and Blane standing in the driveway. Kade was the one who had spoken and he continued walking toward us even after Blane stopped by Kade’s Mercedes, leaning against it with his arms crossed over his chest.

They were both dressed in jeans and black T-shirts, and I could see Blane was wearing his holster at his side, the Glock firmly wedged into it. Kade was armed as well. It was obvious they were going somewhere, and wherever it was, they expected it to be dangerous.

“Where are you going?” I asked as Kade reached past me to unlock and open the front door. Luke stared at him.

“Nowhere special,” he said. “Go inside. We’ll be back later.”

“Um, who is this?” Luke asked me.

Kade had been ignoring Luke, but now he fixed him with a stare. “Back before eleven? I’m guessing she thought you were less than impressive.” His smirk was cold, and if Luke had any sense, he’d shut up.

“No one asked you, asshole,” Luke shot back, his ears turning red. “Kathleen, who is this guy? Is he your brother, too?”

“Brother?” Kade interjected before I could answer. “She doesn’t have a brother, dipshit.” He turned to me. “Really? You told him Blane was your brother?” His tone spoke volumes about what he thought of that idea.

My face heated as Luke’s gaze landed on me again. “I’m really sorry,” I said quickly to Luke. “It just… came out.”

“So who is he then, if he’s not your brother?” Luke asked, angry. Not that I blamed him.

“Her fiancé,” Kade said.

“Ex-fiancé,” I shot back.

“You’re living with your ex-fiancé?” Luke was incredulous.

“Yes, but it’s over now,” I protested, though the part of my mind not completely aghast at what was happening was wondering why I’d bothered. It wasn’t like I wanted to go out with Luke again.

“Then who’s this guy?” Luke jerked a thumb at Kade.

Kade slung his arm over my shoulders. “I’m the brother,” Kade explained. “His brother.” He nodded at Blane. “And her friend,” he said, which would have been fine. But then he added in a conspiratorial whisper, “With benefits.”

My embarrassment was now complete. Luke looked at me like I was insane, a slut, or possibly both. I covered my burning face with my hands, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. Maybe I should say something? But what on earth would I say?

“Um, yeah, I-I’m not really… in… to that,” Luke stammered. “I’ll catch you later, Kathleen.” He hurried back to his truck without a backward glance and a moment later was speeding away.

“I can’t believe you said that!” I rounded on Kade, forcing him to drop his arm.

“You should thank me,” he said with a snort. “Did you see the size of that truck? Textbook overcompensation.”

I just looked at him, my mouth agape, utterly speechless. Then a laugh bubbled up from my throat. Really, the whole situation must have seemed ridiculous when seen through the eyes of a stranger. And I probably didn’t need to worry about having to turn down that second date with Luke.

Kade’s eyes crinkled slightly at the corners, his smirk transforming into a soft smile.

“So now that I ruined what would have been a very disappointing evening,” he said, “you want to come along?”

“You have to ask?”

“Go change. You’ve got three minutes.”

I ran upstairs, unlacing my dress as I went and jerking it off when I hit my bedroom. Thirty seconds later, I had on jeans and rummaged in my closet until I found a black tank. I pulled it on over my head and grabbed a pair of tennis shoes before heading back downstairs.

Kade’s eyes flicked appreciatively over me. “I love it when you dress badass. Let’s go then.”

Blane was still leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette, when we came back out of the house. I remembered that he smoked only when he was incredibly stressed-out. When he saw me, he flicked the cigarette to the concrete and ground it out with his boot. He didn’t seem to bat an eye at my presence, though I’d been preparing myself for an argument.

“How was your date with surfer dude?” he asked as Kade rounded the car to the driver’s side. Blane’s eyes seemed to glitter in the faint light.

I lifted my chin. “It was great,” I lied.

Blane just looked at me.

I huffed in exasperation, caving. “Okay, it wasn’t great. But it doesn’t matter because after that little scene I doubt I’ll hear from him again. Are you happy now?”

His mouth tipped up at the corners, like he was thinking about smiling. “Very.”

He opened the back door for me and I climbed into the car. Blane got in the front as Kade started the engine and we pulled away from the house.

I leaned forward between the two men, bracing my arms on the tops of their seats. “So where are we going?”

“Kandi’s house,” Kade answered.

“Why?”

“Check out the crime scene.”

“I thought you’d already been there?” I asked Blane.

“It was right after she was murdered,” Blane said, glancing at me. “I was in shock. There were lots of people around. I didn’t get a good look.”

“So why all the firepower?” I asked.

“Whoever did this is still out there,” he explained. “And he’s a sick fuck. I’d rather be armed, just in case.”

“So what’s with the date?” Kade asked.

I abruptly leaned back in my seat. “Nothing. Just some guy I met.”

“And his last name was…?” Blane prompted.

I shot a glare to the back of his head. “I don’t remember.”

“Well, he looked like a barrel of laughs, so I’m sure you had a great time,” Kade teased. “And how thoughtful of him to get you home so early.”

“He had to work tomorrow,” I said, making up an excuse for my short date. I really didn’t want Blane and Kade to know how boring Luke had been.

“I see,” Kade said. “And what did he do for a living?”

Shit. “Um… something with numbers?”

Blane snorted a laugh at me.

“I wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention, okay?” I protested. “He talked a lot.”

Now Blane laughed outright, turning a bit so our gazes caught. His eyes twinkled at me.

I hid a smile and said loftily, “Okay, I’ll admit it wasn’t exactly a love connection. But hey, he bought me dinner, so it wasn’t a total loss.”

“I would’ve bought you dinner,” Blane said, his voice a low thrum of sound.

Kade made a too-sharp turn and Blane was suddenly plastered against the passenger door.

“Sorry about that,” Kade said easily.

I sighed. Maybe that maturity thing I’d been thinking they both had earlier was really just wishful thinking on my part.

Kade parked a block away, under the looming darkness of an overgrown oak tree. I followed Blane through the yards, Kade bringing up the rear. When we reached the rear of the darkened house, Blane paused, handing both me and Kade a pair of latex gloves.

“No fingerprints,” he said, pulling on a pair himself.

My heart was pounding as Blane took out a key and unlocked the back door.

The house was still and silent, making the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I followed Blane as he left the kitchen, entered the foyer, and then climbed the stairs to the second floor. The last door on the left was ajar and Blane flipped on the light in the room.

None of us spoke, and I was painfully conscious that a woman’s terrifying last moments had occurred in this very room. Flecks of dried blood stained the ivory satin sheets on the bed, which was where my eyes were inexorably drawn.

Blane paused for a moment, his gaze on the bed, too, then he seemed to shake himself. Moving to the dresser, he began opening drawers and pawing through them.

“What are we looking for?” I asked.

“Whoever did this was someone she knew,” Blane said. “There’s no sign of forced entry and no evidence of a struggle. She let him in, let him come up here. There’s got to be something around here that can help us figure out who he is.”

“Her phone records show repeated calls to an unlisted number, including one the night she was murdered,” Kade said. “I traced the number to a burner phone, so dead end there. Was she dating anyone else?” He started on the dresser drawers.

I flinched at the “anyone else” part of that question. Opening her large walk-in closet, I started looking through her things, trying not to think about how much Kandi would have hated me touching her belongings.

“She said something,” Blane answered, digging through another drawer, “about a man who, quote, ‘appreciated’ her. She was trying to make me jealous, I think. I didn’t care enough to ask who it was.”

Sometimes the coldness Blane was capable of rivaled Kade’s.

“Shouldn’t the police be looking for that guy?” I asked.

“The police have all the evidence they need,” Blane said. “I’m not sure how much longer Charlotte can hold off an arrest.”

“Shouldn’t your uncle be helping you?” I asked, trying and failing to keep the bitterness from my voice. Regardless of how much I hated Senator Keaston, he had always had Blane’s best interests at heart, no matter how misguided his actions.

“I’ve asked Robert to keep his distance,” Blane replied. “No need to take him down with me.”

I didn’t have anything to say to that, so just kept on searching. My mind worked the puzzle as I searched through Kandi’s clothes. Whoever had done this was sick and twisted. Maybe they were also the kind that liked to play rough in the bedroom? If so, he and Kandi would have needed… accessories. If they’d used any, maybe there would still be DNA. Where would she have kept stuff like that?

A woman like her would have hidden them, I decided. But where?

I looked up at the stacks and stacks of shoeboxes lining Kandi’s closet. Hmm.

Reaching up, I pulled a box carefully from the stack, but it was high and I watched in horror as the whole stack teetered. I squealed in dismay and covered my head with my arms at the shower of boxes that tumbled down on me.

“What are you doing?” Kade asked in bewilderment, suddenly appearing at my elbow.

I cautiously lowered my arms. It looked like the avalanche was over. “I’m looking for her… toys,” I explained.

“Her what?”

My face burned. “You know… her personal things. I just thought maybe if she was seeing someone else, they might have left some DNA, or something…” My voice trailed off at the look of amusement on Kade’s face. “What?”

“So you’re looking in shoeboxes?” He snorted. “Why don’t we just ask Blane where she kept them?”

He turned away, but I grabbed a fistful of his shirt. “Don’t you dare ask Blane—” I hissed.

“Ask me what?”

Now Blane had ventured into the closet behind Kade.

“Where did Kandi keep her sex toys?”

Kade’s bluntness made me hurriedly turn away. I didn’t want to think about the images going through my head now of Blane and Kandi—

“How the fuck would I know?” Blane retorted with some surprise.

“Figured you were sleeping with her, you’d know,” Kade said with a shrug.

“Listen,” Blane sneered, “you may need stuff like that, but I don’t.”

“So you’re boring in bed,” Kade said with a smirk. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. You can’t be good at everything.”

Good lord. I was trapped in a murdered woman’s closet with two grown men acting like fifteen-year-old boys.

“Can we just drop it?” I snapped. “Or should I get out a ruler and start measuring?”

Both men looked at me, and I knew my face was flaming, but I just cocked an eyebrow at them. Blane’s lips finally twisted in a near smile.

“It’s too cold in here for that,” Kade deadpanned.

“Well, they’re not going to be in here,” Blane said, glancing around the closet. “They’d be by the bed, right? In the nightstand?”

I shook my head. “No. Kandi probably had a cleaning lady and I bet she did the laundry. Kandi would’ve hid them from her.” I crouched down and started taking lids off shoeboxes.

The men seemed to consider this statement for a moment, then Blane reached for more boxes off the shelf, looking into them one by one. Kade did the same.

“So…,” Kade said after a few moments of blessed silence.

I braced myself. I knew that tone and whatever was coming next was probably going to be wildly inappropriate.

“I can’t help wondering,” he continued. “Where do you keep your… personal things?”

Sometimes I hated being right.

“I am so not answering that,” I shot back, digging through another stack of boxes and cursing that Kandi had so many freaking pairs of shoes.

“So is it like a collection? I mean, do you have enough to fill a shoebox? Some of these seem kind of… small… for that sort of thing.” He picked up a box, eyeing its dimensions doubtfully.

Oh my God. I was going to kill him. To my dismay, I heard Blane smother a laugh.

“I do not have a collection,” I protested.

“So you admit you do own items of a personal nature?”

“Every woman does. It’s not a big deal.” I tried to shrug it off.

At my admission, both men paused in their search, their heads turning toward me. I studiously avoided their gazes and prayed they weren’t imagining me with…

“Found it!” I crowed. And not a moment too soon, considering where the conversation had been headed.

The box contained a few things I recognized, and a few I didn’t. But what immediately caught my eye was the navy blue, patterned silk tie. I carefully drew it out of the box.

“Really hoping that’s not yours, brother,” Kade said softly.

Me, too, I thought but didn’t say.

“It’s not.”

Blane produced a plastic baggie and I slipped the tie inside. There were a couple of silk scarves, too, and I put them in another baggie.

“We’ve been here a while,” Blane said, glancing at his watch. “It’s pushing it. Let’s go.”

Kade offered me his hand and I climbed out from the mountain of shoeboxes. Blane watched, flicking off the bedroom light. I saw Blane and Kade removing their gloves as we walked down the hall and I did the same, shoving them in my pocket.

We were almost to the stairs when we heard the front door open. All of us froze.

A cold rush of adrenaline poured through my veins. Who could be here at this time of night? Was it a friend of Kandi’s? A relative? Or was it the murderer, returning to make sure he’d left no evidence behind?

Blane grabbed my arm, jerking open the nearest door and shoved me inside. Kade followed, then Blane, who eased the door shut behind him.

We were in some kind of closet, maybe a linen closet, I thought, and it wasn’t big enough for the three of us. I was sandwiched tightly between Blane and Kade and couldn’t see a thing, the blackness utterly complete.